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American Cancer Society's Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge—Birmingham

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1104 Ireland WayBirmingham, AL 35205-7001205-558-78601-800-227-2345

About Our Facility

Imagine the prospect of fighting cancer. Now imagine you will be treated at a facility two hours away from your home. The unexpected travel and lodging expenses can place a huge burden on family finances.

Since 2000, the American Cancer Society's Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge in Birmingham, Alabama has offered a solution to cancer patients who must undergo treatment far from home. The Hope Lodge provides housing free of charge on a first-come, first served basis to cancer patients and their families during their course of treatment. The Hope Lodge not only reduces the financial burden, but also provides a much-needed supportive environment.

Guests of the Hope Lodge enjoy rooms with a private bath and television. Other amenities include a shared kitchen, library, dining room, living room and laundry room. Guests are able and encouraged to make themselves very much at home, engaging in such normal everyday activities as buying groceries, preparing meals, doing dishes, working at a computer terminal or watching television.

* Please note the above virtual tour was produced before a policy change in our number of guests allowed. Only one adult patient and one adult caregiver may stay in the room. More than two people per guest room is not permitted. Thank you for your understanding and adherence to this policy.

Facility Details
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The American Cancer Society's Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge offers:

33 guest rooms, each with a private bath

Fully equipped kitchens with a community dining room

Two laundry rooms stocked with laundry and cleaning supplies

A cozy library area for curling up with a good look or surfing the internet

A beautiful lobby with baby grand piano

Second and third floor living rooms with comfortable chairs and sofas

Lovely backyard patio and screened in porch complete with gas grills

Wrought iron patio tables and chairs

Free parking

Exercise rooms with state-of-the-art equipment

Conveniently located within walking distance of grocery stores

Conveniently located within driving distance of pharmacies

Free daily transportation to and from treatment centers between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Our History
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The American Cancer Society named the Birmingham Hope Lodge in memory of longtime volunteer leader and supporter, Joe Lee Griffin, who lost both his first and second wives to cancer before losing his own battle with the disease in 1998. He was a life member of the American Cancer Society’s Board of Directors and a contributor to many community causes. His greatest source of inspiration was his family, especially his three daughters Gari, Ginger and Gana, who celebrated their father’s life by making a substantial donation to the lodge and naming it for him.

Two other donors helped make the Hope Lodge a reality. William Ireland, Sr., and Nancy Taylor-Latimer literally paved the way for a successful lodge, and, in fact, the street where the Hope Lodge is located was renamed Ireland Way to honor Ireland as a dedicated, lifelong community volunteer.

"This is the best thing that’s happened in my lifetime," Ireland said. "It means more to me than I thought it would. I’ve been through cancer myself, and I've seen people come a long way and have to go back [home] day after day. This [place] eliminates the travel; you can be taken to and from the hospital. This is outstanding for people who need it," Ireland said.

Taylor-Latimer agreed, "It’s a dream come true, not only for the American Cancer Society but for Birmingham. There are so many facilities here, and people come from all over the world to have treatment. This makes it so much easier on patients and families." Taylor-Latimer’s husband passed away from cancer, and the Hope Lodge conference room is named in his memory.

"The return on our investment is great," Taylor-Latimer added. "I have four children and they all agreed unanimously that we’d get much more enjoyment out of this than having the money."

Staff and Volunteers
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Jennifer Cherry is the Hope Lodge Director. She is here to assist you and help make your stay as supportive and pleasant as possible. Please do not hesitate to ask if she can help in any way. Her office hours are 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays.

Cindy Perdue is the Associate Hope Lodge Director. She is the on-site resident at the Hope Lodge. She works with our day volunteers as well as our groups that provide meals. You will often see her driving the Lodge shuttle. Her office hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays.

Ben Loveless is our Facilities Manager. If maintenance is required in your room or if you notice a problem elsewhere in the lodge, please advise the front desk volunteer. Ben will assist you as soon as possible. His office hours are 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays.

Weekend Resident Managers are responsible for lodge coverage from Friday at 5 p.m. to Sunday at 10 p.m. They can be reached at anytime over the weekend period by calling the front desk or by dialing 7860 from any in-house phone.

The Hope Lodge and Birmingham Office are located in the Five Points Area/Southside. We are on the hill behind the Western Supermarket. You can see the Red Mountain Expressway from the office, so you are not far from it. We are located beside the American Red Cross Blood Services, which is located in the Old Russ Building. The parking deck is across the street from the Catholic Family Services. We are in the southeast part of downtown.

From I-65 North of Birmingham Take I-65 S to 4th Ave South - Exit 259B. Go approximately 13 blocks to 22nd Street. Turn right onto 22nd Street and go approximately 6 blocks to Ireland Way. Turn right onto Ireland Way (at the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge Sign) and immediately turn right again at the Ridge Park sign. Continue through the parking lot until you reach the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge entrance.

From I-65 South of Birmingham Take I-65 N to University Blvd - Exit 259. Merge into middle lane (right lane ends in a turn lane) and go approximately 11 blocks to 22nd Street. Turn right onto 22nd Street and go approximately 4 blocks to Ireland Way. Turn right onto Ireland Way (at the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge Sign) and immediately turn right again at the Ridge Park sign. Continue through the parking lot until you reach the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge entrance.

From I-59 East of Birmingham Take I-59 to the Carraway Blvd/HWY 31/280 exit – Exit 126A. Follow the left lane to HWY 31 South / 280 East. Take HWY 31 South / 280 East (Elton B Stephens Expressway) to the 8th Avenue South Exit. Turn right onto 8th Avenue South (University Blvd). Turn left onto 22nd Street and go approximately 4 blocks to Ireland Way. Turn right onto Ireland Way (at the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge Sign) and immediately turn right again at the Ridge Park sign. Continue through the parking lot until you reach the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge entrance.

From I-59 West of Birmingham Take I-59 to the HWY 31 South / 280 East exit – Exit 126A. Take HWY 31 South / 280 East (Elton B Stephens Expressway) to the 8th Avenue South Exit. Turn right onto 8th Ave South (University Blvd). Turn left onto 22nd Street and go approximately 4 blocks to Ireland Way. Turn right onto Ireland Way (at the American Cancer Society - Hope Lodge Sign) and immediately turn right again at the Ridge Park sign. Continue through the parking lot until you reach the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge entrance.

From HWY280 South of Birmingham Take HWY280 to the Elton B Stephens Expressway on-ramp. Take HWY 31/280 (Elton B Stephens Expressway) to the University Blvd/8th Avenue South Exit. Turn right onto University Blvd. Turn left onto 22nd Street and go approximately 4 blocks to Ireland Way. Turn right onto Ireland Way (at the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge Sign) and immediately turn right again at the Ridge Park sign. Continue through the parking lot until you reach the American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge entrance.